There’s a reason why Noelle W. Ihli, Author is my favorite author, everything she writes makes your heartbeat faster and has you sitting on the edge of your seat! Or cringing at the dirt-bag character that she has created 🫣. Such Quiet Girls is based on the true story of the Chowchilla bus kidnapping in 1976.

She puts her own spin on the story and tells it from different perspectives. Be sure to add this one to your TBR!! It releases on April 29.

Thanks, NetGalley for the early read 🤓

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I really like the premise of this book, what a terrifying thought that your kid's daycare bus get hijacked. I liked the different POVs and the mystery surrounding the driver at the beginning and what she could have done. Overall, it was hard to get into and I felt stuck at some points.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DynamiteBooks for the book #SuchQuietGirls by #NoelleWestIhli. So many stars for this fantastic book. The fact that this is based on a true story breaks my heart. Jessa is a new bus driver for an after school daycare. She is suffering from her own demons and trying to start over. On her bus route, she and 10 children are hi-jacked and put in an underground bunker where there is hardly any air. They realize they need to take matters in their own hands and try to escape. Can they make it out alive? This book along with all other books by Noelle have really tugged at my heartstrings and I praise her for writing them!

Good pacing, interesting storyline.

Recommend if you enjoy kidnapping, trapped or confined space tropes.

The book's clear and straightforward writing style makes it accessible and easy to follow. However, it ultimately fell short of my expectations. I found it difficult to form a connection with the characters, and their struggles failed to evoke the suspense feel I was hoping for. Despite the premise, the tension didn’t build as anticipated, and the narrative lacked the suspense typically expected from a gripping thriller. Instead, it read more like a concise recounting of events than an immersive experience.

A. Twists and Suspense
⭐⭐: Minimal suspense, twists felt forced or clichéd.

B. Atmosphere and Writing Style
⭐⭐⭐: Good atmosphere, writing was solid but lacked emotional or suspenseful depth.

C. Character Development
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Characters felt real and deeply engaging, enhancing the story’s stakes

D. Pacing and Engagement
⭐⭐⭐: Pacing was decent, with a few engaging moments.

E. Mystery Resolution
⭐⭐⭐: The resolution made sense but wasn’t particularly satisfying.

F. Emotional Impact
⭐⭐: Minimal emotional engagement; few memorable moments

Overall, while this book may appeal to readers who prefer a simple and direct storytelling approach, those seeking a deeply atmospheric or emotionally charged thriller may want to explore other titles.

Pro’s
• As usual with all of Noelle’s books, the writing is SO descriptive. It’s so easy to visualise every single thing that is happening. I could picture everything perfectly.
• I really enjoyed the multiple POV’s being told throughout the whole ordeal. It really helped you know how each of them was feeling and why they were doing what they were doing.
• The suspense in the second half had me gripped. I flew through it. I was literally on the edge of my seat and waiting to see if the kids would make it out or not.

Con’s
• I have to say I found the first 46% a little slow. I wasn’t gripped and I wasn’t wanting to constantly pick it up. I totally get that the scene was needed to be built but yeah, I felt it dragged a little for me.
• My only other con is it didn’t feel like a thriller. It felt more like a suspense novel. For it saying it was a thriller, I expected a little more to happen, or some bigger reveals.

Thanks for letting me read and review again. Always appreciated☺️.

is recommended for fans of psychological thrillers who appreciate emotionally charged storytelling and are prepared for its intense subject matter.

Wow! Such an amazing, thrilling read. Kept me on the edge of my seat through out the whole book. I felt every emotion, every feeling each character had. Had my heart racing at times not knowing what was to come. The story is told from 4 points of views which helped to see all of what happened. I felt like I was there one of those kids on the bus. Noelle W. Ihli is such an amazing author. Thank you to Noelle and Net Galley for the opportunity to read Such Quiet Girls as an arc!

Wow! This one had me on edge!! What a storyline. I felt like I could relate with the characters and the POVs really made me want to keep reading. There wasn’t any huge plot twist but the storyline kept me in anticipation of what was coming next.
Thank you for the ARC and congrats on a fantastic book!!

Noelle west Ihli is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Her books are fast paced and terrifying, and I appreciate her research into real life events that inspire her writing. This book was no different. I loved all the character arcs, and quickly took to rooting for most of them.

This is the first time I read a book by this author, I've been trying to Branch out and read new books but authors I have never heard of nor read their books. And once again I chose a good one. The twist are unbelievable you will not see them coming and you would not be able to put this book down once you start so just be prepared..

SUCH QUIET GIRLS
By Noelle W. Ihli

Thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC ebook.

3.5 stars rounded up

This is a fast paced, heart pounding, and gripping thriller of ten children along with their new bus driver, Jessa, buried underground in a shipping container. With a race against the clock, will they be able to outsmart their captors or will time run out before they lose air to breathe? This is told from different POVs and I enjoyed the chapters of Sage, the oldest child kidnapped and her mother, Sheena’s, story. The POVs gives you a glimpse of what is going on in the minds of some characters, as well as, a few backstories on some. This book is inspired by actual events.

I was hesitant to read because I don’t usually like to read about child kidnappings, however, after reading a few reviews of others and how the subject matter was handled I decided to read it. It was my first read by this author and I will check out some of her previous books. This does have possible TRIGGERS - domestic violence, kidnapping, and murder

3.5 stars! I really enjoyed the overall story of Such Quiet Girls. I really liked that you drop immediately into the kidnapping, and because it’s written in 4 different perspectives, you get to know the thoughts of all of the main characters. I love short chapters in thrillers, and while they were short enough that I kept telling myself, “okay, one more,” I felt like the writing fell a little flat in the first 2/3 of the book. The plot was interesting and eerie enough to keep me intrigued, but there were definitely moments where it felt like it was really dragging. I didn’t feel the “I have to keep going” spark until the last 75 pages or so.

Overall a good read if you’re looking for a thriller to add to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to Noelle W. Ihli, the publisher, and NetGalley for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

2.5⭐️

This book is told from 3 different perspectives, 2 middle aged women, and one 12 year old girl. We are following one of the women and the 12 year old girl, Sage, as they get kidnapped for ransom with a bus full of other young kids.

Okay, so, great story in theory but……Sage acted and talked like she was 45 and had seen THINGS, as the grown adult teacher curled up in the corner. And that’s where it lost me. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. I was expecting a story so fast-paced and twisty, that I had a heart attack. Unfortunately I was left with heartache and immense boredom. I think this book will be a hit for some people. Noelle’s writing style is very addicting and normally sucks me in, so I see the appeal. I would just say that this one is much slower than her previous books and the characters were a big miss.

I absolutely devoured this. Book that you can't and wont put down until you know how it ends.

Inspired by true events Such quiet girls will take you to a dark place only to show you how there is light in everyone of us. This is a story about courage, love, strenght and hope.

Short chapters from POV of three people lets us follow the kidnapper, kidnapped children and a mother of two of kindapped girls. The same events from three different places. And the ending was perfect!

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

My first Noelle Ihli book and it did not disappoint!

I was pulled in immediately with the multiple POVS who were involved in the story in different ways, so it kept me wanting to read to find out what was going on.
I loved getting a POV from one of the abducters
The story made it even better that it was based off of a true story, I loved that aspect!
Super quick read very bingeable
The minute I thought it would be too easy of a situation to resolve, another twist came into play, so I enjoyed it a lot.

Despite a promising premise, this one fell flat for me. I didn't care for any of the characters, which made it hard for me to be invested in the story. Sure, the story moves along, but I found it hard to maintain attention.

Thank you Netgalley and Dynamite Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Title- Such Quiet Girls
Author- Noelle W. Ihli
Publication Date- April 29th, 2025
Genre- Thriller
Goodreads Rating- 4.39
My Rating- 5 ⭐️


5 Stars – WOW. Just…WOW.
Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli left me completely breathless. From the first chilling chapter to the final, heart-pounding page, this book had me clenching my jaw, racing through the pages, and whispering “oh my god” more times than I can count.

This isn’t just a thriller—it’s a psychological onslaught in the best possible way. The premise is instantly gripping: a new school bus driver and a group of kids—including brave, unforgettable Sage—are abducted and buried alive. Yes, buried alive. The tension is suffocating, the stakes are sky-high, and the characters? So raw and real it hurts.

Noelle W. Ihli doesn’t just tell a story—she drags you in, locks the door, and dares you to look away. Spoiler: you won’t. You can’t.

This book is a flawless blend of horror, heart, and human resilience. It’s the kind of story you finish and immediately need to talk about. The kind that lingers. That haunts.
Do yourself a favor—read Such Quiet Girls. Just be warned: once you start, there’s no turning back.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced E-copy for an honest review

This was such a captivating book I could not put it down. It made me feel for the children made me feel for the mother. Made you wanna hate the kidnappers.
Do you want to feel like what would happen if I was in this scenario? I flew through this book so fast the pacing was fast never a dull moment.

I will definitely be picking up more books from this author

I enjoyed this book thoroughly!!
could not put the book down!

We got the viewpoint of the children, the kidnapper, and the bus driver and the mother of 2 of the children on the bus.

Each had their own story and unique viewpoint.

A story of survival and hope! this book made me tear up a few times and actually remember the names of the characters and care for them. I'm not able to often get the movie in my head but this book gave me just enough details to get that movie going! I say stop what your reading and pick this book up the moment it comes out!